Type-writing machine



' No Model.)

FAIRPIELD. TYPE WRITING MACHINE.

No. 536,025 Patented Mar. 19-, 1895.-

Witnesses: Inventor amw Ja/m Fa/z'rfz'e 1a,

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, UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE,

JOHN M. FAIRFIELD, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

TYPE-WRITING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 536,025, dated March19, 1895.

Application filedMarch 3, 1894. Serial No. 502,273. (No model.) V

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN llIfFAIRFIELD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hartford, in thecounty of Hartford and State of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Type- Writers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to carriage feed mechanism for type-writers; theobject of the invention being to furnish in connection with atype-writer carriage a feedingmechanism of improved construction andorganization and which shall be simple, durable, effective in operation,of low cost, and which may be readily assembled and disassembled.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification,Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of a type-writer embodying myimprovement. Figs. 2 and 3 are rear and side elevations, respectively,on an enlarged scale, showing the carriage-feed mechanism in theposition it occupies immediately preceding the shifting of the feedrack.Figs. 4 and 5 are views similar to Figs. 2 and 3, showing thecarriage-feed mechanism in its normal position. Fig. 6 is a plan View ofa portion of said feed-mechanism in the position shown in Figs. 1 and2,2. portion of the feed-rack being broken away.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures.

In the drawings I have shown only so much of a type-writer frame andcarriage as will suflice to illustrate the application of myimprovements thereto.

The carriage B, which is, or maybe, of any usual or suitableconstruction, is shown supported for longitudinal and vertical movementupon the guide-ways of the frame A in a manner common to type-writers ofusual construction, it being pivotally supported at its rear end uponthe guide-rod 3. Revolubly supported between the side rails of thecarriage is the platen 0, having the usual feed-wheel 4, at one endthereof.

Pivotally supported upon the guide-bar 3 is the feed-rack, designated ina general way by D, which rack has an arm, 5, projecting forward of itspivotal point, as shown in Fig. 1, and has a rack-bar, 6, at the rearend thereof in position and adapted for engagement with theescapement-feed mechanism, designated in a general way by E.

I .Pivotally supported near the forward end of the carriage B is areciprocatory rack-baractuator, designated in a general way by F, whichactuator has a rearwardly and downwardly projecting arm, 7, in positionand adapted for engagement with the forwardlyprojecting arm 5 of thefeed-rack D, and carries at its upper end a platen-actuator, which inthe form thereof herein shown, consists of a feed-pawl, 8, pivotallysupported upon an upwardly extending arm, 9, of the actuator F, andengages the feed-wheel 4 of the platen.

Therack-bar 6 is provided at its under side with a series ofratchet-teeth in the usual manner, and will be moved forward in the di-"rection of the arrow, Figs. 2 and 4, by means of a suitable spring, orother device, as G, connected by a cord or wire to said rack-bar, whichspring or rack-bar-actuating device will be connected to some part ofthe framework of the type-writer in the usual manner.

The esoapement feedmechanism which controls the forward movement of therackbar 6 and the carriage to which it is connected, comprises arock-shaft, 10, a rockshaft-actuator, and two overlapping reciprocatoryrack-bar-engaging members, 12 and 13, respectively, one of which membersis fixed against lateral movement upon the rock-shaft, and the other ofwhich members is connected for a sliding movement longitudinally of saidshaft, said members being supported at an inclination toione another andbeing organizedto rock with the said rook-shaft. These members will insome instances be herein termed escapement-arms. This rock-shaft isremovably supported between uprights, l5 and 15, preferably by means ofconically-pointed bearing-screws, 16 and 16', extended through saiduprights with their conical ends seated in conical recesses formed inthe ends of said rock-shaft. Formed upon or secured to one end of therock-shaft, is a flange or abutment, 17, which forms a stop for limitingthe movement of the escapement-arm or member 13 in one direction, andformed upon or secured to said rock-shaft, near the central portionthereof, is the escapement-arm or member 12 whose upper end is inclinedat one side, as shown at 12', to correspond with the inclination of, andform a detent-catch for engagement with the teeth of the rack-bar 6.This escapement-arm 12 in the normal position of the rock-shaft andparts shown in Figs. 1, 1 and 5, lies with its rear edge in closeproximity to, but at one side of the teeth of the rack-bar and inposition for engagement wit-l1 one of said teeth, as willbe clearlyunderstood by reference to said figures referred to. The other member,or escapement-arm 13, in the form thereof herein shown, consists of thetubular body-portion fitted for sliding movement upon the rockshaft 10between the fixed escapement-arm 12 and the abutment 17, and having theupwardly and outwardly projecting arm which constitutes theesoapement-arm 13 proper. This escapement-arm is shown as secured forlongitudinal movement upon the rock-shaft 10 by means of a pin, 18,secured to the shaft and projected through an elongated opening, 19,formed through the upper edge of the body-porlion of saidescapement-arm, as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 6 of the drawings. It isobvious, however, that the said escapement-arm might be splined to theshaft instead of being secured in the manner shown, without departingfrom my invention. This escapement-member 13 lies with itsrack-barengaging arm at one side of the rack-bar-engaging portion of theescapement-arm 12, and when in engagement with the rack-bar, as shown inFig. 4, said arm 13 liesin a parallel plane transversely with the arm12. This escapement-arm 13, when the arm 12 is in engagement with therack-bar, lies with its tooth-engaging face in position for engagementwith the next adjacent tooth in the rear of the tooth engaged by saidarm 12, said arm 13 being retracted to this position by means of aspiral spring, 20, in engagement at one end with the sliding member 13and at its opposite end with a projection or fixed point, 43, upon theframework A.

The actuator for operating the rock-shaft comprises the lever or arm,21, secured to the rock-shaft 10, and an actuating-rod, 22, pivotallyconnected at its upper end to the outer end of said lever 21, saidactuating-rod being connected with an actuator (not shown) which will beoperatively connected with the keylevers (not shown) of the type-writerin any usual or suitable manner.

In the operation of my improved carriagefeed-mechanism, assuming theparts to be in the position shown in Figs. l and 5 of the drawings, adepression of the actuating-rod 22 will throw the lever 12 from theposition shown in said figures into engagement with a tooth of therack-bar, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, which holds the rack-bar againstforward movement until the release or elevation of the actuating-rod 22.This shifting movement of the escapement'arm or member 12 throws the armor member 13 out of engagement with the rack-bar, and, through themedium of the retracting-device, said bar is immediately shifted fromthe position shown in Figs. 4 and 5 to that shown in Figs. 2 and 3 whichbrings it into position for engagement with the tooth next adjacent tothe tooth in engagement with the arm 12. Upon the release or elevationof the actuating-rod 22, the shaft 10 is rocked together with the twomembers 12 and 13 which throws the sliding member 13 into engagement,and the fixed member 12 out of engagement with the rackbar, when, owingto the stress of the spring, or other rack-bar-moving device, saidrackbar is moved forward carrying the sliding member 13 with it untilsaid member is stopped by the abutment 17, this movement being generallythe distance of one tooth.

In some cases, it may be desirable, that the rack-bar be fed a distanceof two or more teeth at each operation of the escapomentmechanism, inwhich case provision will be made for increasing the length of slidingmovement of the escapement-arm or member 13 which may be done byadjusting the abutment 17, or the arm 12 upon the shaft to increase thespace between said parts, which will extend the limit of movement ofsaid arm 13.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a type-writer, thecombination with the framework and with the carriage supported forsliding movement thereon, of a carriage-fced mechanism comprising arack-bar carried by the carriage; and an escapement device in positionand adapted for engagement with said rack-bar and consisting of therock-shaft, and actuator therefor, a fixed dog secured to said shaft, amovable dog mounted for longitudinal reciprocatory movement along saidshaft but fixed against transverse and longitudinal oscillatorymovements with respect to said shaft and the fixed dog said movable doghaving its rack-engaging end overlapping that of the fixed dog and in adifferent plane therefrom, and means for retracting said movable dog,substantially as described.

2. The combination with the feed-rack of a type-writing machine; of anescapementfeed device consisting of a rock-shaft having thereon alateral abutment or flange and a fixed dog,a movable dog supported forreciprocatory movement along the shaft between the abutment and thefixed dog but fixed against transverse and longitudinal oscillatorymovements with respect to said shaft and the fixed dog and having itsrack-engaging end in a different plane from that of the fixed dog, aretracting device for said movable dog, and an actuator connected withsaid shaft for rocking the same to throw the dogs alternately into andout of engagement with successive teeth of the rack-bar, substantiallyas described.

JOHN M. FAIRFIELD.

Witnesses:

FRED. J. DOLE, FREDERICK A. BOLAND.

